Engaging students inside the classroom to increase learning

From overhead transparencies to interactive documents, teaching and learning engineering has changed dramatically over the years. A flipped or hybrid course is a pedagogical model that reverses typical lecture and homework elements of a course. Class time is used for discussions and group activities with lecture materials being introduced in an on-line format. As research has shown, this model allows students to typically demonstrate higher levels of learning. This paper will detail the associated learning by students through the author's transition from a typical lecture-based sophomore-level engineering class to a hybrid model. The author will address how learning can be increased through the use of active engagement tools, such as iClickers. To address this question and gauge the overall impact on student learning, a post-course survey was used to measure the perceived value for students. In addition, evidence for improved student engagement was gathered qualitatively to compare with previous experiences. Results show that active engagement tools helped students become active learners, increased interaction with peers and instructor, and helped them evaluate whether material was understood to motivate further learning. Moreover, students benefitted from the instructor being able to pinpoint misconceptions earlier due to instant feedback from students in the class.